Liberty and Victory Took a Beating

sandyslopes z5 n. UTApril 29, 2013

One night was down to 26, another 28, and a few nights later 32. This is the sad result for several of my hostas on the southwest hill. They were fooled into coming up after being teased with some warmth, and then slammed with cold. For those waiting to see your hostas again, doesn't this make you glad yours didn't come up too early?
Liberty
Victory

I have a Sagae in the back yard that looks about like your Liberty. A Liberty by my front door was more protected (and an upside down flower pot over it may have helped). So here in Indiana we have has had some of the same problems (same as last year). But at least only one hosta got hit.

Two out of three small ginkgo trees have brown mush for leaves for the second year in a row. I think everything else looks ok, thank goodness.

Weather channel web site says we will be 45F or higher for the next ten days. I think the frost is finally over.

Have faith-just a temporary setback. In a short while the first leaves being lost will be hidden by later emerging. But it sure IS a sad sight after spring has been so long coming.
Last years drought produced few walnuts and the squirrels ravished anything buried over winter. They even dug up and ate horseradish roots, and I seem at best to have only 4 potted hostas not totally eaten. That is my whole 2012 seasons success and 2 of those are only bits of crown..
But hey-I'm a Chicago Cubs fan: there is always next year!
Theresa

Take heart,everyone! I had a Fragrent Fire hosta freeze all the way to the ground,and now it is coming back up just like the Phoenix! I would have never thought it would recover this year. Others that rabbits chomped right down to ground level are also coming back up. Phil

Don, I'm at 4,800 ft, so not as high as you are, but up there. Mine had no protection, so maybe if you can cover yours with pots and a rock on top that would help them out. It looks like your area is getting a nasty, cold night coming up. Good luck to you, MadPlanter1, and anyone else getting hit again. It looks like it's missing us this time. Phew!

claydirt, I also have a Sagae that looks like this, too! Grrrr.

Theresa, a sad sight indeed. But you give me some perspective. Mine have a set back, but you seem to have had worse problems. I hope your hostas can bounce back.

"as they dry out.. and the good ones inside.. start pushing their way out.. break open the dead stuff.. and help them escape ... "

Thanks, Ken! I was wondering if a bit of gentle help for the new leaves would be in order. The frozen tissue looks like it will have a strangle hold on them since it can't grow any more. Otherwise, I'm pretty good at letting things alone. That's how come they didn't get covered.

That's good news, Phil. To hear that a hosta could freeze to the ground and still come back this year probably gives hope to lots of people. It's been a hard spring.

ogrefcf , isn't that the way it goes here? I'm still learning about living in a climate where things freeze. I ruined two of my hoze nozzles because I optimistically hooked them up too early, and didn't realize they couldn't take the freeze even laying up against the house. Live and learn, ....and replace.

Fingers crossed that the weather will become kinder to all of us gardeners real soon!

Sandy-I am taking over the care of my brothers hostas so I have a diversion from my lack of potting success.

And yes, last year his plantaginea froze to the ground 3 times, totally with the transparency of a frozen lettuce leaf all that was visible. Every time they unfurled they were hit again but the 4th time was the charm.

I can cry when my babies get hurt, but then as a good mom I can smile when they heal.

HA! If you think 4800 feet elevation is bad, you ought to try 22 feet! :)

And Don, you are really in the "mile high" zone! Ouch.

My Fragrant Fire is doing so well, I'm glad it came out later than the other hosta. I sat it where it gets full sunshine and it sure popped up after that. Here it is pictured with a much slower emerging Undulata Univittata.

After I complete my chores today, I'll try to begin a thread of my late late emergers here in zone 9a. I suppose this is my first year for emerging hosta since most of my 325 arrived last spring and summer already in the growing stages.

People here cover hosta beds with blankets when freeze/frost is in the forecast. In case you use a pot, remove it promptly next morning, or the plants might get cooked in the heat when sun beats on the pot.
Bernd

I just finished covering up all my plants that are in the process of unfurling their leaves. We have a hard frost warning for tonight and tomorrow night here in northern Utah. My elevation is 4350 feet. I am getting really sick of this weather this year!

Oh no! I've been busy and didn't know we're getting such a cold night tonight. Sheesh, can't trust the weather forecasts a few days out. Good for you, Linda, that you're on top of things. Me, not so much.

Today I checked, and the parts of the hostas I thought would be dry and restricting new growth are really nothing more than mush. Maybe tomorrow night I can put a sheet over some on that hill. ~sigh~

Theresa, that's a good thing you have some hostas to look out for. I hope none of mine will freeze to the ground tonight.